Under the Shadow of My Brother
by ccwrite
Summary: In Giroro's POV, about growing up with his older brother, Garuru. First chapter in Giroro's POV, second chapter in Garuru's POV. Some parts correspond with a few episodes of the anime, inlcuding Kero Zero supplemented with the fourth movie.
1. Chapter 1

**Some sudden, random inspiration came to me in the middle of the night. So here's the story. Might be a little OOC.**

* * *

**Under the Shadow of My Brother**

Giroro's POV

My brother is the honor of our family. My father always praise him. I stood in the corner, watching him, admiring him, trying to emulate him. My father was telling him how proud he was of him. Then he saw me in the corner and beckoned me over to share his glorious tales with me, and I was proud of him too.

Then I grew tired of him; no, tired of living up to everyone's expectations. Teachers that had him always expected me to be as good as he was; and when I fell short of those expectations, they frown upon me with pity. I wanted to be myself, I was not my brother and I am still not him. I started to see him as a rival instead of a hero. I want to beat him; I went as far as stop calling him "Nii-chan." I still remembered the first day I called his name in his face. He had joined the Keron Army. He had come home on the weekend and was play-fighting me, and I was losing. He laughed at me and called me weak. Of course that wasn't the first time and he was just joking. I had always laughed it off and gave him a playful punch. We passed around that kind of insults pretty often, so it was not a really big deal. However, that day, something was gnawing me inside and soon I was filled with rage. I stomped the floor and spat in his face that I am not weak and that I hate him for always looking down at me. Then I hissed that one day I will be as good as him or even better, "I will be as good as you or even better than you, just watch me, I hate you Garuru!" He just stood there staring at me. I thought something flickered in his eye when I had uttered those words, but it was gone really soon. Being in a tough love family, we didn't like to show soft emotions. Maybe I had imagined it for my own self satisfaction or maybe it was really there, I didn't know. But it didn't really concern me, I was filled with some kind of ecstasy but some kind of sadness as well. From that day on, we never really did anything together, unless absolutely necessary.

I still loved him and I knew that he loves me too. Of course he would never say he loves me, neither would I. I was thrilled when I learned that I had been chosen to conquer Pekopon, the biggest invasion in the Keron history. Of course my brother already knew since he was an officer; in fact, he had probably known it beforehand but kept it a secret just to surprise me. I rushed home that day to tell my father, and he patted me and said he was proud. For the first time in my life, I felt like I was almost as good as my brother, but somehow still not as good as him. Garuru congratulated me in a really formal way, he had always been like that ever since he became an officer.

The day to depart for Pekopon, I cried for him. I was with Zeroro, in the terminals for Grand Star. Some weird creatures decided to attack on that day, and Garuru was there, on his robot, bravely defending Keron. Then the biggest creature aimed his final energy ball at Keron. Garuru hesitated a little, then he steered his robot at full speed into the energy ball. I thought he was going to die and I cried and screamed "nii-chan!" I thought to myself, why? why any day but today? I was supposed to be happy and excited today.

I could not be more glad when he came out on his wings, aiming his rifle at the creature's single eye. I secretly cursed him in my mind for scaring me into tears and yet at the same time, I felt relieved. I was glad that Zeroro instead of keroro was next to me; that green bastard would have teased me afterward had he been there.

When he had come to supposedly replace us to invade pekopon, he defeated at first. I beat him later and I was shocked when he said, "Your brother is not as strong as you thought."

* * *

**Tell me if I should write one more chapter in Garuru's POV. Correct me if I had made some mistakes.**


	2. Chapter 2

**So here's the second chapter, in Garuru's POV.**

* * *

Garuru's POV

I remember the day Giroro was born. I was sitting on one of those hospital chairs in the waiting with my father. I could barely contain my excitement. My father patted my head and told me that soon I will be a big brother and that I should be a role model, to him or her. We were called into my mother's room later, and when I entered, I saw in my mother's arms was a tiny red tadpole sleeping peacefully. I quickly rushed to my mother's side and leaned down, putting my face close to the baby. I asked my mother, "Is it a boy or a girl?" My mother told me that he is my little brother.

I peered closely at my brother, imagining all sorts of games and fun we could have together as he grows older. I was mesmerized by this little creature and was deep in my thoughts when he suddenly stirred. His eyelids fluttered open and his eyes, bright and innocent, stared at me. I blushed and smiled, and my mother whispered to him that I am his big brother. Then he replied with one of those baby sounds, as if he understood.

When he was young, he admired me greatly. He idolized me. Every time when I came home he would rush to me. When I was telling my parents the tales of my success, he lingered at the corner. He felt left out. I beckoned him over and he grinned widely.

Then, things changed. He became more distant and began to regard me as a rival. One day, we were play fighting, and I called him weak. It was not the first time, but I didn't realize that it hurt him until that day. He suddenly stopped and spat at me, telling me that one day he will be as good as I am or even better and that he hates me. Then he called me by my name and ran away. He never called me "nii-chan" anymore. I was and still am not emotionally sensitive, growing up in a tough love family. I couldn't recognize my emotion at that moment; was it anger? Was it surprise? Was it disappointment? Or…was it … pain. I realized that his admiration for me had turned into a rivalry between us. He never felt that he was good enough because of me.

I was secretly proud of him when he was selected to be in the Pekopon invasion platoon. In fact, I was a bit jealous, though I was happy for him too. I knew that he had a lot of potential, but somehow he always felt that he was worse than me. On the day of his departure, some weird creatures came to attack Keron. I, being a Keron soldier, went to the frontline to defend my planet. I, being Giroro's older brother, would not allow those monsters to ruin his day. He was firing at the monsters in one of the terminals, standing next to Zeroro. To an outside observer, Giroro's firing seemed useless since he was quite far away from the monsters. Though to me, I knew that his firings were to distract the monsters in order to help me. I understood him and secretly thanked him. When the monster boss readied his energy ball and aimed at Keron, I devised a plan.

When I along with my platoon were assigned to overtake Keroro Platoon, I beat Giroro at first. But I knew that it wasn't over for me, or him actually, for I knew that he was bull-headed since he was young and would not give up that easily. And of course, I was right. He came back and proved me wrong, telling me that strategies are more important than the choice of weapon.

I surprised him by telling him that he overestimated me. He was even more shocked when he learned that we weren't actually assigned to take them over, just to test their skills.

I visited Giroro every now and then, making excuses to see him, though I avoid those Pekoponian chopsticks at all cost. I want to blow those darn things up.

* * *

**I don't know if you guys know it or not, but in many asian cultures, the younger people are not supposed to call anyone older only by their names, same rule applies to older siblings. It is considered disrespectful to do so. I know because I have an older sibling and I can't and never calls her by her name. There are special "titles" or names used. The story is completed.**


End file.
